Encyclopaedia Metallum web-resource

   I was pretty surprised here. Pretty minimalistic Russian BM. Sound boring? Yeah it did to me too. But after I downloaded this, I wanted to hear more by them. Why?
   ...TRANCCCEEE-INDUCCCINNNGGGNESSS...
   Every riff on this album is repeated in the context of the songs like 5000000 times, and it's so captivating you can't help but keep listening. The drumming is hardly even there. It's just this incredibly buzzy treble-y guitar sound. But, it's there, and it's great.
   The vocals, while not as tortured as... say Silencer or Burzum, even, are pretty evil and malefic. Shrieks of hatred and pain. Yeah, I can deal with that, but I've heard better.
   I've already said this, but the drumming isn't really there. That's not the draw of this release, though. It sucks anyways. Whatever.
   OK, we start with the song "Mundi Vesper". Pretty short song with a fucking mystifying riff played over and over. Introduces you to the style being played here.
   "Paroxysm of Spiritual Chaos" is one of the better songs here. It's pretty fast for this band, and has yet another riff that is so minimalistic that it practically hurts. One of the best songs here.
   "Succubus Black Tongue". One of the faster songs. Awesome riff on this song, the drumming is a tiny bit more obvious and double-bass laden. The bass, however, is buried in this song, which isn't that bad because the guitar takes it over anyway.
   "Nyarlathotep" starts with a great little guitar part that's repeated a lot. The drumming is noticeable in the beginning, at least. More nihilistic raging vocals.
   Title track is where it all comes together, I think. The drumming... is actually there! The bass is audible! The vocals are fucking evil! The guitars are a little more lackluster than on other tracks but still the foundation, with a good driving and depressing riff.
   "Lux Tenebriis" is the outro of the album. A droning ending is the name of the game here. This band (whose name is cool, by the way, if you hadn't noticed) wants you to remember this album, and what better way than to pound it in to your head with the raw as hell guitars. If this song was a bit longer, it would be better, but it fits.
   Overall this band is pretty good. They need to make longer albums (slightly longer, maybe 35-40 minutes), though.

Spawnhorde

Flo

   With a hermetic name extracted from the Qabbalah, this Russian band formed by AL-LA-ShT-ORR and Adramelech gathered in 2001. "Demonic Crown of Anticreation" is their first full length, released in 2002 on Misanthropic Propaganda Production (Belarus).
   Ithdabquth Qliphoth play a primitive and cold Black Metal with intense atmospheres and a very catchy guitar sound that adds a huge depth to the minimalist compositions. The album is composed of 2 tracks in Russian that are played on a slow yet heavy tempo, 2 tracks in English played on fast and sustained rhythms, the first and last tracks are instrumental.
   The faster tracks are played in the old school vein with a dry and dirty sound, enhanced by the harsh and grim vocals reminding of earlier Darkthrone, as in the primitive "Demonic Crown of Anticreation". The raw and marked riffs are enhanced by noisy, yet sizzling tones in the background that add heaviness and shape the dark and anguish atmospheres as in "Paroxysm of Spiritual Chaos". Heavy and dragging riffs mark the slower parts, crude and raw tones that sound at times almost acoustic and remind of Shining or earlier Burzum styles, as in the devilish "Nyarlathotep". The instrumental tracks are raised by the sizzling and sparse raw riffs that seem to dwell the space and resound through nocturnal fields. I doubt I will ever success to pronounce the name of this band one day, though I'll however struggle a bit as it's one of the best old school albums I got to hear lately, Ithdabquth Qliphoth success to capture the old BM spirit and atmospheres, recommended!

Flo

Resistancija Underground webzine

   Lorsque l’on parle des diverses scènes Black Metal et de leur underground flamboyant et méritant, certains ont trop souvent pris pour habitude d’évince soit par ignorance, soit par mépris la scène Russe et cela pour toujours et sempiternellement glorifier les mêmes. Nous en revenons toujours au même point inhibé et, totalement dévoué à la cause scandinave et, à sa quintessence aujourd’hui définitivement passée.
   La Russie possède pourtant une scène propre et forte avec des groupes virulents et de massives personnalités tels que Temnozor (Je conseille d’ailleurs à tout maniaque digne de ce nom l’excellente œuvre qui, traduite du cyrillique inaccessible à notre langue de Molière, pourrait signifier "La sorcellerie renforce le sombre gloire de la Russie"), Branikald ("To Kampf" est une tuerie monumentale), Hvanghur etc. La liste est longue et, il est inutile de se lancer dans la rédaction d’un catalogue; Disons juste que le duo qu’est Ithdabquth Qliphoth siège également fièrement parmi cette assemblée de guerriers païens.
   Cette démo tape qu’est "Demonic Crown Of Anticréation" enregistrée entre le deux et le quatre janvier 2002 par Al-La-ShT-ORR (basse, vocaux, percussions) et Adramelech (guitares) prouve donc que les slaves ont leur place dans l’avènement par la haine et l’onirisme du paganisme renaissant.
   Ithdabquth Qliphoth propose en effet un Black Metal rigoureux, carré et bien ficelé plutôt raw dans sa construction et évidemment fortement teinté de nobles et augustes consonances épiques et combatives.
   Point d’exubérance et d’excentrisme donc, nous restons ici en accord avec les rutilantes traditions et, rien ne vient trahir la grandeur honorable de la culture Black Metal.
   Bien que beaucoup moins intense et primaire qu’un Branikald et, moins luxuriant, labyrinthique et recherché qu’un Temnozor, "Demonic Crown Of Anticréation" est incontestablement une œuvre dense et entière qui utilise à son compte et, sans repomper insidieusement les clichés, les ingrédients les plus triomphants du genre.
   Le Black Metal de Ithdabquth Qliphoth est raw dans le toucher, rapide et lancinant, presque hypnotique lorsque la double se met en branle et que Adramelech entames ses descentes dans le mysticisme des aigus. La basse tenue par Al-La-ShT-ORR joue un rôle audible et dominant via de profondes et quasi folkloriques variations sur les thèmes développés par les guitares.
   Sur ces bases, l’on ne tarde pas à ressentir une fameuse et louable authenticité; Celle d’un peuple aux conditions de vie rustiques dans un pays rude et glacial, emplit d’histoires obscures, de mythes ancestraux qui se perpétuent de générations en générations au détour de feux païens clandestins et pastoraux.
   A cette certaine identité culturelle d’un autre age vient s’ajouter une bonne dose de mysticisme du fait de certains apports mélodiques et de la présence de quelques phases arpégées et saturées. L’intro qu’est "Mundi Vesper" exprime instantanément cela.
   Tout les textes sont le fruit des errances lyriques et oniriques de Al-La-ShT-ORR à l’exception de "Nyarlathtep", véritable ode dédiée à la grandeur du messager des dieux dans le mythe de Lovecraft et, tiré de l’œuvre de Liver Logaeth, et, sont rédigés en cyrillique ou dans la langue de Shakespeare.
   Réjouissons nous de la présence dans le livret très pro des paroles dans leur intégralité ; Initiative qui permet de cerner un peu mieux le concept qui entoure des tracks tels que "Succubus Black Tongue" ou, "Demonic Crown Of Anticréation".
   Une bonne démo qui ne réécrit pas particulièrement les codes du genre mais, qui exprime une fois de plus tout le mérite de la scène d’Europe de l’Est et renforce mon respect à son égard.
   Tout ceux qui ne fuiront pas à la vue du Totenkopf arboré sua la cover y trouveront certainement leur compte.

Sperma Syphilikum

Shapeless webzine

   ADRAMELECH e AL-LA-ShT-ORR sono gli unici membri degli Ithdabquth Qliphoth, un gruppo russo di cui non so praticamente nulla. Credo comunque che questo "Demonic Crown of Anticreation" sia il loro primo demo. Le registrazioni si sono svolte dal 2 al 4 gennaio 2002.
   Il lavoro in questione conta quattro canzoni pisch intro ed outro ed i limitato in 500 copie numerate a mano. La confezione i abbastanza carina, per quanto essenziale: il libretto i di sole due pagine (copertina e retro), ma contiene comunque i testi. E' presente pure il logo della campagna "Never Stop the Madness" in favore dell'uso delle droghe pesanti. Il retrocopertina riporta la tracklist, alcune informazioni riguardanti il gruppo e le registrazioni del demo. Gli unici colori presenti sono nero, argento e bianco. Il tutto i stampato professionalmente, tranne il CD, che i masterizzato.
   Musicalmente gli Ithdabquth Qliphoth propongono un Black Metal misantropico ed involuto, molto influenzato dai Mütiilation. La voce di AL-LA-ShT-ORR i gracchiante e sgraziata, forse filtrata in qualche occasione, mentre le chitarre sono grezze, metalliche, dal suono freddo e molto distorto. La drum machine i programmata spesso su ritmiche slow martellanti, sorrette dalla doppia cassa, ma non mancano delle accelerazioni. Le canzoni sono semplici, basate su pochi riff spesso ripetuti parecchie volte. La loro struttura si sviluppa naturalmente ed i priva di forzature, ma comunque le canzoni non annoiano e non risultano banali. Soltanto "Nyarlathotep", unico episodio cantato in lingua madre, si assesta su mid tempo dall'inizio alla fine. La title-track i invece il pezzo pisch tirato e furioso, mentre "Paroxysm of Spiritual Chaos" e "Succubus' Black Tongue" alternano momenti feroci ad altri pisch cadenzati.
   L'originalita i pressochjj nulla, ma non i qui che va ricercata. "Demonic Crown of Anticreation" i un demo che sa di gia sentito, i vero, ma alla fin fine un ascolto ci put stare tranquillamente. La registrazione i buona ed abbastanza equilibrata. I suoni sono freddi, maligni e grezzi al punto giusto. L'esecuzione i istintiva: si riscontrano delle imperfezioni che comunque non influiscono troppo negativamente sul risultato finale, che ne acquista in immediatezza. Ottima la voce straziante e selvaggia di AL-LA-ShT-ORR, dalla timbrica davvero esasperata.
   Alla fin fine, "Demonic Crown of Anticreation" i un demo affascinante ed oscuro, fatto di canzoni efficaci e maligne. Intro ed outro non brillano, ma le canzoni vere e proprie non sono male. Gli Ithdabquth Qliphoth sono un gruppo che non riservera grosse sorprese, su questo non ci piove, ma se i black metal misantropico quello che state cercando, questo duo russo potrebbe fare al caso vostro. Il demo i in vendita presso il mailorder della loro etichetta discografica a pochi euro.

BDN

CHAOSEMPIRE